Observant Jews as Ambassadors

This week we begin the Book of ויקרא, that deals mainly with the laws connected to sacrifices and the Kohanim. It also teaches a great deal about proper ethical behavior.

The Parsha begins with the words, “ויקרא אל משה,” that Hashem called to Moshe. This was teaching a simple rule about proper manners. Even though Moshe spoke to Hashem פנים אל פנים, face to face, he waited until he was called. He was showing that we always must behave courteously and respectfully.

This is especially true of the תלמיד חכם, the Torah scholar, who must be particularly careful to possess exemplary manners. The Midrash makes a strong statement by saying that a Talmid Chacham who does not act respectfully, is worse than a נבילה, a carcass of an animal.

The נבילה leaves a bad odor, and people are repulsed by the scholar who shows bad character. Rabbi Twerski adds that observant Jews, in particular, must realize that we are ambassadors of Torah. We must be so careful to act in a proper way, so that we will gain the respect of the secular world. If we succeed, it is a great Kiddush Hashem. If we do not, we are like the repulsive תלמיד חכם, and are no better than a נבילה.

Tragic Story of King Saul

The Haftarah for פרשת זכור tells of the tragic story of King Saul that led to his losing his kingdom. The incident that led to his demise, was his inability to fulfill the commandment to utterly destroy Amalek, including men, women, children and cattle.

King Saul’s fear of the people, that we might call today, “public opinion,” did not allow him to fulfill his G-d given task. He was unable to comprehend that erasing evil in this world, is merciful and not cruel. The benefits to the world are enormous when evil is eradicated.

Sadly, Shaul Hamelech showed weakness and not strength. He rationalized this weakness by trying to argue that he was more compassionate than Hashem, Himself.

Now there would be an abundance of cattle that could be used for sacrifices. The Peophet Samuel, gave the king a powerful reprimand. Hashem is not interested in the cattle. He only wants us to follow His word faithfully.

It is not always an easy thing to do, especially when people allow themselves to think that their own value system is superior to Hashem’s. When this happens, it leads to tragedy. In this case, not only did King Saul lose his kingdom, but his poor choices created Haman and further suffering in Shushan, many years later. The Haftarah for פרשת זכור is a tragic story, indeed.

Evil Amalek

We are now getting closer to Purim, as this Shabbat, we will read פרשת זכור. Most opinions are that it is a Torah obligation to hear this reading concerning Amalek, and remembering their evil ways.

The obvious connection to Purim is that Haman was a descendant of Agag, the King of Amalek. We must never forget that in every generation, the Jewish people have enemies seeking our destruction.

I believe that the message for today is that we must not be fooled by the influence of the “woke” culture. They would like us to believe that everyone is inherently good, and if people violate the law, it is only out of frustration.

It might be that their desperate economic situation led them off the path, but everyone is well meaning and good.

The obligation to read פרשת זכור is a blunt reminder that evil definitely exists. We must not be naive and live in a fantasy world. People make choices in this world, and some choose evil to the extent that their essence becomes evil.

This is Amalek. It is pure evil that must be recognized and blotted out. They are the obstacle preventing the Mashiach from coming. We say in our Friday night prayers, אהבי ה׳ שנאו רע, “Those who love Hashem, hate evil.”

The Talmud says that the יצר הרע, evil inclination, עין הרע, the evil eye, and Satan, are all reflections of evil that are part of Amalek. When we destroy Amalek, the Good will reign, and the world will be a better place.

Do Our Best

Regarding the completion of the construction of the Mishkan, there is a Midrash that says that Moshe Rabbeinu had trouble actually getting the thing to stand. In actuality, the Mishkan stood because Hashem wanted it to stand.

There is a very important message here. We must remember that in many ways, we are just going through the motions in what we do. Everything depends on Hashem making things happen.

It is not up to us to complete a given task. But it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to achieve our goals. We can only hope that we realize the outcome we are hoping to accomplish.

Rabbi Twerski adds that this is also true of parenting. We have a responsibility to do our best to give the best to our children. We must put them in the best environment possible so that they grow up as proud, religious Jews. But there are no guarantees.

It is not necessarily the fault of the parents, if the children go off the Derech. Avraham had Yishmael and Yitzchak had Eisav. There are no simple formulas in life. We just need to do the best that we can. The results might be the creation of our own holy sanctuary that will stand as proudly as the Mishkan.

משכן העדות

It interesting to note that the משכן is referred to as the משכן העדות, the Mishkan of Testimony. We also find that the Holy Ark is referred to as ארון העדות, the Ark of testimony.

Both the Mishkan as a whole, and the ארון, as an example of one of the holy vessels, testify to the truth of Hashem’s existence.

The connection between the two, also emphasizes the role that Torah is meant to play in our lives. It is only by way of intense study of the Torah, that we are able to see and experience, what is precious and sacred in this world.

When one immerses himself in Torah, he is given a clear picture of the holy and mundane. He better understands the weakness of human character. He realizes that the Torah protects him from the temptations and seductions of the secular world.

The Talmud in מסכת קידושין, speaks of our lifelong battle with the יצר הרע. The Gemara suggests that if the Evil Inclination tries to turn us away from the Torah, we should drag that מנוול, disgusting one, into the בית מדרש, the study hall. The Gemara continues, בראתי יצר הרע בראתי תורה תבלין, “I created the יצר הרע. I created Torah as its antidote.”

This is the ultimate purpose of the Mishkan. It is עדות, testimony, of the truth of Hashem, that is manifested when we embrace His holy Torah.

The נשיאים

Many commentators point out that the Torah has left out the letter, Yud, in the word נשיאים, which is written, נשיאם. This refers to the heads of the tribes and the reprimand they received in their role in the construction of the Mishkan.

These so called leaders had the wrong attitude in their roles as leaders of their respective tribes. They made it clear that their own contribution would come at the end, and they would supplement whatever was missing in materials needed to complete the Mishkan.

This did not look good, because there could have been a scenario where they would not have to contribute at all. They should have taken the initiative of giving first, and setting the example of generosity and enthusiasm in this sacred project.

Perhaps the method of “matching funds” as a method of raising funds, is not the ideal. On the one hand, their contribution will be as large or small as the amount that others give. But it is possible that this mentality is a good motivator to get people to give. I am not saying which method is preferred, but it is certain that much can be learned from the wrongful attitude of the נשיאים in building the Mishkan.

Betzalel

Rabbi Twerski has an interesting take on the special character of Betzalel, the one given credit as the major artisan of the Mishkan.

The Torah goes to the trouble of telling us that his full name was בצלאל בן אורי בן חור. We also learn that his great grandmother was Miriam, sister of Moshe. His grandfather, חור, was murdered by the angry mob who worshipped the Golden Calf. חור tried to prevent this horrible event from taking place, and lost his life, in the process.

The greatness of Betzalel is that he showed no resentment towards the people, when he was asked a few months later, to build the Mishkan. He is referred to as one who possessed רוח אלוקים, the spirit of G-d. He would not have achieved such status if he was an angry, bitter man.

It was his self mastery that allowed him to be given this holy task.

This whole incident teaches that a prerequisite for achieving greatness is to eliminate anger and resentment, and act wholeheartedly with love for the Jewish people.

Stoking the Coals

There is a principle related to the laws of Shabbat called, שמא יחתה בגחלים, lest he stoke the coals.

This applied largely to the ovens during Talmudic times. They were heated with coals and when food was not fully cooked, a person might inadvertently stoke the coals to increase the heat. This is a serious Shabbat violation of a מלאכה.

The aspect of this law that is applicable today, would be making a bonfire before Shabbat, to use to keep warm on Shabbat. The bonfire must be an already strong flame as Shabbat commences, for otherwise, one may come to stoke the coals, שמא יחתה בגחלים.

There are exceptions to this rule in situations where there is no worry of stoking the coals. One example was a fire burned in בית המוקד, the dormitory like structure for Kohanim while they served in the Beit Hamikdash. They made a bonfire to keep warm that did not have to be such a strong flame.

Because Kohanim are זריזים, and act with alacrity, they will remind one another not to stoke the coals.

Similarly, when the קרבן פסח was placed on the spit to roast over the coals, when Pesach fell on Friday night, there was also no fear of a Shabbat violation, because all of the members of the group sharing in the קרבן פסח, would remind one another not to stoke the coals.

דרכי שלום

There is an interesting Shabbat Halacha that is not so commonly known. This applies to our responsibility of not only feeding Jewish poor, but we are also obligated to feed non-Jews.

The principle here is דרכי שלום, that we are to maintain a peaceful relationship with the non-Jews living among us. We are allowed to waive an איסור דרבנן, Rabbinic law, of telling someone to deliver food to the non-Jewish poor, as it is our responsibility to help them as we help our own poor.

There was an incident where a non-Jew became ill, and asked for food from his Jewish friend for his survival. The Jew was permitted to send the food via a non-Jewish messenger to bring this food.

This was a violation of the Rabbinic command of שבות, Shabbat rest. Nevertheless, the principle of דרכי שלום took precedence over this Rabbinic enactment.

Similarly, the principle of כבוד הבריות, showing respect for creation, can sometimes override a Rabbinic law. It is important to understand how our compassionate Halachic system works.

Moshe’s Accounting

The question was asked why it was necessary for Moshe Rabbeinu to give an accounting down to the last detail, as to how all of the contributions to the Mishkan were spent. It seems ludicrous that the man who spent forty days and forty nights with Hashem on three occasions, and without bread and water, that he would have to answer to the people.

We are also taught that Moshe, himself, was a very wealthy man. He received the shavings of the tablets that were worth a great deal.

He had no motivation to take anything that didn’t belong to him. And where would he spend his new found assets. They didn’t exactly have lavish shopping malls in the desert.

This entire episode shows the power of קנאה and שנאה. Jealousy and hatred. Even the greatest man that ever lived was subject to it. Moshe was aware that he had constant detractors who questioned his every move. Rather than stir up a potential controversy or scandal, he preempted this by painstakingly disclosing every expenditure. This is a sad commentary on human nature, but it is a reality that we must live with.

No Compromise on Jewish Education

In פרשת ויקהל, we receive an accounting of all the materials used in the construction of the Mishkan. Based on these instructions, we also learn how the vessels were made in the Beit Hamikdash.

There were periods in our history, where restoring the vessels were too costly for the community to bear. Some of the vessels were meant to be made of gold. These included, for example the שולחן, the table, and the Menorah. If gold was unavailable, they were allowed to build these vessels of less expensive materials, such as silver or copper.

For example, the Menorah made by the Chashmonaim after the Chanukah story, was seven metal poles. They wanted to light it as soon as possible, so that was the best they could do, at the time.

Only the כרובים, the Cherubs with childlike angelic faces, placed on the Holy Ark, had to be made only of gold. There was no substitute for any other substance other than gold.

The symbolism of the children’s angelic faces, was חינוך, or Jewish education. There could be other areas of Judaism, that might be open for compromise. But we must never compromise the education of our children. They are our future, and we must do everything possible to give them the best education possible. This is more precious than gold, and needs to be our main focus in Jewish life.

In Praise of Jewish Women

Parshat ויקהל could be viewed as the Parsha that gives recognition to the contribution of Jewish women during the time of the exodus from Egypt and in the desert.

Regarding the construction of the Mishkan, the women donated with a generous heart, נדיב לב. Many possessed חכמת לב, wisdom of the heart, to help with sewing and weaving needed for the curtains and coverings of the Mishkan.

Contrast this to the sin of the Golden Calf. The women did not worship this עבודה זרה, and their gold and silver, was taken from them against their will.

The women proved to love Israel more than the men. They did not listen to the evil report of the spies, who tried to ruin the morale of the people, speaking negatively about Eretz Yisrael. The daughters of צלפחד begged for an inheritance in the Land of Israel.

Our Sages wrote that in the merit of righteous women, we were redeemed from Egypt. They constantly kept up the spirits of their humiliated, slave husbands. They gave birth to huge families and by their constant encouragement, allowed their husbands and children, to never lose their faith.

It is definitely a good idea to take pause and show appreciation for our great Jewish women.

Kindling a Fire

This week we read פרשת ויקהל alone, as it is usually part of a double Parsha. But because of the leap year and extra month of Adar, it is read separately.

Generally, this Parsha is viewed more as an inventory taking Parsha. We receive a summary of all of the materials used in constructing the Mishkan.

The part that doesn’t seem to fit with the general idea of the Parsha, is the discussion concerning kindling a fire on Shabbat. This is one of the thirty-nine מלאכות, but it is presented separately from the other מלאכות.

There are many interpretations for this. Some say that this מלאכה is singled out as an example of all other מלאכות. And just like one can get סקילה, death by stoning, for kindling a fire, the same would apply for the other thirty-eight מלאכות.

There are opinions that argue that because “fire” was singled out from other Shabbat labors, it carries a lessor punishment, such as lashes.

The ספר החינוך claims that we are being taught that one cannot execute a sinner who has committed a sin punishable by שריפה, death by fire, on Shabbat. Therefore, we would not try a person in court on a Friday because he would not be put to death until Sunday, and it would spoil his Shabbat.

It is interesting to see how our sages attempted to understand the intricacies of the Torah.

Sanctifying Hashem’s Name

There is a Pasuk at the end of שירת דבורה, in the Book of Shoftim that says, אוהביו כצאת השמש בגבורה, that those who love Hashem, are like the sun coming out in all its strength.

The Prophetess Devorah, is praising Yael and Barak and others, who fought valiantly to sanctify the Name of Hashem, in the war against Sisera. They clearly acted in a way that brought honor to G-d. This is Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of G-d.

When Moshe Rabbeinu asks for forgiveness for the nation, after the sin of the Golden Calf, he also argues on behalf of Kiddush Hashem. Why should He allow the Egyptians to think that He is weak and is incapable of bringing the Jews to Israel. When Hashem is perceived as weak, it is a Chillul Hashem. When He looks strong, it is a Kiddush Hashem.

It is the obligation of every Jew to act in a way that brings honor to G-d. His deeds should be viewed by all as most honorable and praiseworthy. Those who observe such exemplary behavior will praise this individual as well as his G-d. This is the way that we see a fulfillment of Devorah’s prophecy. Those who love Hashem, and show it by acting in a way that is pleasing to Him, are, indeed, like the sun shining in all of its glory.

י״ג מידות and ותרנות

In פרשת כי תשא, Moshe Rabbeinu is taught the י״ג מידות, known as the Thirteen Attributes of Hashem. This is a method of praying to G-d that opens the gates of mercy.

These Thirteen Attributes are a kind of gift to the Jewish people that allows us to be judged with mercy rather than with harsh judgement, דין.

When we learn about this, we are not supposed to draw the wrong conclusions. This should not lead us to believe that Hashem is a ותרן, that He is automatically lenient with us. Hashem is the true judge, and there is ultimate truth in His judgement.

We are not to confuse רחמים, mercy, with ותרנות, giving in to us. The Talmud says that anyone who says that Hashem is a ותרן, is mistaken. The idea of לוותר, is to concede, or give in.

We are not to assume that we can act any way we want, and there won’t be consequences. We are judged appropriately for everything we do. The י”ג מידות and רחמים kick in, after judgement is passed. We ask for mercy in that we ask that we be treated with a lessor penalty. We must never think there is no accountability for our actions. There always is responsibility on our part for what we do. The י״ג מידות will lighten the blow.

And this is the very reason why we say the י״ג מידות at least seven times when we say the final prayer of נעילה on Yom Kippur. This is the time we need רחמים the most.

Rationalization

There are many opinions as to how the Jewish people were capable of sinning with the Golden Calf.

Rabbi Twerski is of the opinion that it was all the fault of the ערב רב, mixed multitude. There is a hint to this where the Torah describes the scene with the words, אלה אלוקיך ישראל, “these are your gods, Israel.” Because they did not say, “our god,” we see that the ערב רב did not really see themselves as part of עם ישראל.

They further exacerbated the issue by rationalizing that Moshe wasn’t really coming back, and maybe life in Egypt wasn’t so bad. This was the excuse for creating a kind of substitute image of Hashem.

Rabbi Twerski takes this idea a little further by speaking of how rationalizing, can be the cause of a person’s downfall. Such a person never takes responsibility for his actions, and justifies them by way of rationalization and excuses. He may place the blame on others, but never owns up to his own actions.

Rabbi Twerski even goes as far to say that rationalization is the explanation for society’s decay. “But they love each other,” is the rationalization that might justify intermarriage or same sex marriages.

“But it feels so right,” is another classic justification for all types of immoral behavior. Rationalization prevents real rules and limits, and it denies that what is right in the eyes of Hashem, strongly overrides everything.

The Eirav Rav failed to recognize this, and secular society may be guilty of the same shortcomings.

Shabbat Symphony

We learn that Shabbat is referred to as מעין עולם הבא, a taste of the next world. If observed properly, it is one sixtieth of the ecstasy felt in the next world.

Rabbi Twerski made an interesting analogy, to express this idea. Someone bought an extremely elaborate sound system for his home. He was told that when hearing symphonies, he will feel that he is actually sitting in the audience. Excitedly, the fellow connected the system, and the sounds were scratchy and unclear. He was told that he had not connected the wiring correctly. Once he got it right, the sound was exquisite and went beyond expectations.

The same is true of our Shabbat observance. If not done with the right intent, with the day filled with Torah, prayers, good food, and family bonding, there will be some loose wires and disconnect. But when observed with the focus on the holiness of the day, and blocking out the worries of the week, we will have our own symphony of Shabbat joy.

Definition of מלאכה

Parshat כי תשא is the source for the important laws of Shabbat, connected with the 39 מלאכות. After Parshat תרומה and תצוה, that gives instructions as to how to build the Mishkan and the Priestly Garments, we continue further instructions in כי תשא.

After learning of the incense used in the Temple, we suddenly have the Pasuk, אך את שבתותי תשמורו, “But you shall observe My Shabbat.” From here we learn two things. The first is that the construction of the Mishkan may not be done on Shabbat. And the second point is that all thirty-nine of those activities, called מלאכה, that applied to the construction of the Mishkan, are not permitted on Shabbat.

The word, מלאכה, is generally translated as “work.” This is a poor definition as it makes one think that the extent of the exertion is what is forbidden on Shabbat.

An excellent definition of מלאכה was given by Dayan Grunfeld, in his book, “The Sabbath.” He defines מלאכה as, “Any act that shows man’s mastery over the universe is a מלאכה.” It has to do more with creativity than exertion.

And the source for these forbidden מלאכות is Shmot 31:13.

Foundations

This week we read פרשת כי תשא, that begins with the instructions of the מחצית השקל. This half shekel was a requirement for every adult male. There was no distinction between wealthy or poor. Everyone had to give the same amount. This was also a method of census taking of the population.

On the one hand, the Torah tells us that every נדיב לב, generous of heart, could contribute whatever he wanted and for general purposes. But, on the other hand, the Half Shekel was used specifically for the אדנים, or sockets, used for the foundations of the Mishkan.

When it came to the foundations, that contribution had to come equally from rich or poor. The lesson to be learned from this is that when it comes to the foundational beliefs of the Torah, everyone has the same obligations.

This is what ultimately cements us as a nation. It is our shared beliefs and commitment to the Torah. Some say that the three foundations of the Torah are, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Family Purity. These laws must be followed diligently by rich and poor.

This is the reason the מחצית השקל was given equally by all, so that the foundations of the Torah would be observed equally by all.

Familiarity

After the instructions to build the Mishkan, Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu that the ultimate purpose of having a home for Him. The Torah tells us, וידעו כי אני ה׳, “And you shall know that I am G-d,” and the Pasuk ends with, לשכני בתוכם, “In order to dwell among them.”

Rabbi Twerski commented on this verse by connecting it with the idea that, in general, we say that, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” However, this is not true in our relationship with Hashem.

There are times when one might choose a Rav for guidance. However, as he gets closer, and gets to really know his mentor, he may see flaws that causes him to distance himself from this rabbi.

There are other times when a Rav can be one’s lifelong friend, as he continues to be a role model, and the rabbi-student relationship only gets stronger with the years.

And certainly this is true as we allow ourselves to bond with the Master of the Universe. Hashem’s truth is Eternal, and it is His clear desire that He dwell among us for eternity.